Personal respiratory protection has been recommended and required by both government and industry for many years. Studies have been made, standards set, and filtration developed to enable a worker to function in contaminated air with relative safety. However, due to the discomfort and restrictiveness of the respirator facemask, respirators are only worn when absolutely necessary and in many cases, hamper the capabilities and safety of the wearer. Respirators are also hot and heavy to wear, exerting pressure on sensitive areas of the face. They are impossible to wear properly with facial hair, sensitive skin, deep scars, or facial deformities. Respirators protrude in front of the face, limiting visibility and trapping large amounts of exhaled air that condenses on the face. They can not be worn with full-face shields, welding helmets or similar safety equipment.
The excessive dead air space, space between the mask and face, traps exhaled air. This air is hot, condenses on the face and is rebreathed when the wearer inhales. Thus the trapped air enters the lungs before any fresh filtered air and mixes with the residual air remaining in the lungs after exhalation. Retained carbon dioxide level in the lungs then rises, which can cause hyperventilation, diminished capacity to perform work and cardiac stress.
It is therefore the objective of this invention to address these conditions with structure designed to eliminate or minimize each problem. This will lend to greater comfort and safety for the user and consequently a greater likelihood that the user will wear the protective device and realize its benefits.
This Personal Respirator is a respiratory protective device. It consists of a mouthpiece that is a curved rubber-type flange. It is held in the user""s mouth between the lips and the teeth with a flat oval airway tube extending from the center to a valve chamber. The valve chamber has a horizontal opening for the mouthpiece, an opening down for the exhaust check valve and two openings, one on the left and one on the right, for fresh filtered air check valves. Because the chamber is streamlined, of minimal diameter, with all three valves in close proximity and only open to the adjacently attached mouthpiece, the dead air space is extremely small. In this configuration, the dead air space can be limited to less than 14 milliliters. Such volume is substantially below existing respirators and well below the 100 milliliter level identified by the United States government.
The exhaust port has a flexible disk-type check valve that prevents air from entering when inhaling but allows exhaled air to flow out of the bottom of the chamber. It is further directed downward by the exhaust tube, thus eliminating fogging of glasses, safety glasses, face shields and welding helmets and takes with the exhaled breath, any condensate that might have collected in the small valve chamber and mouthpiece. The two horizontal filtered air tubes are connected with sleeves to the valve chamber with flexible disk-type check valves that allow filtered air to be drawn into the chamber from both sides when inhaling and both valves close when breath is exhaled. The filtered air tubes connect from the chamber valves to a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d connection attaching both tubes together with a streamlined opening at 90 degrees, connecting into the threaded filter socket. The filter cartridge, a commercially available filter, will be required for use with this respirator. The type is selected to remove the particular contaminants in the area in which the respirator is to be worn. This threaded filter cartridge seats against a gasket in the base of the filter socket, all of which is located behind the head, resting on the back of the wearer""s neck and upper shoulders.
The filter socket, air tubes and valve chamber form a ring, worn around the head. The heavier filter cartridge and socket rest in back on the lower neck and shoulders, counterbalancing the tubing, valve chamber and mouthpiece in front which is inserted in the mouth when in use. When not in use the mouthpiece being slightly heavier rests on the chest. The air tubes are semi-rigid tubing, with coupling sleeves that are detachable from the valve chamber. This allows the ring to separate and open up for easy installation and removal. A tethered nose clip installs over the nose insuring that the nostrils are safely closed airtight.
By drawing the air in from behind the neck, the intake is usually in a cleaner environment, thus making filtering easier and extending the life of the filter cartridges. Also, the heavy filter cartridge, filter socket, and much of the tubing weight are supported on the lower neck and shoulder area. Unlike the bulky facemask with the filter cartridge hanging on the front of the wearer""s face, this design eliminates the weight problem. It also removes the face mask and filter cartridge from obstructing the wearer""s vision, making it a definite improvement in safety to the operator. Supporting straps and elastic bands around the head are also eliminated, making it totally compatible with wearing a hard hat, winter clothing, safety equipment, and adds greatly to the convenience and comfort factors. When needed the respirator assembly is opened at the valve chamber connection to the air tube, slipped around the head, reconnected, the mouthpiece placed into the mouth and the nose clip installed. This forms a positive seal to the face and can be worn with large growths of facial hair, deep scars, deformed facial features, and does not irritate facial tissue. The front of the respirator is designed to be close to the face, which enables it to be worn with safety equipment, welding helmets, or full-face shields without restricting visibility or functionality.
This invention addresses with simply design, the problems that exist with respirators currently being used. By being more compatible and user friendly, the wearer will use the respirator longer without discomfort and be able to function in a safer manner. These advantages and objectives of the invention will be more fully apparent by reference to the drawings, briefly described hereafter, and the detailed description of the Respirator thereafter.